How APC technologies drive consistency and efficiency in process industries
SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE
BECKHOFF
How APC technologies drive consistency and efficiency in process industries
In the same way that a thermostat maintains the perfect temperature by making continuous adjustments , Advanced Process Control ( APC ) technologies fine-tune process operations to ensure optimal performance . By leveraging real-time data analysis and predictive modelling , APC enhances process stability , product quality and operational efficiency . Here Stephen Hayes , managing director of Beckhoff UK , explains how APC can significantly enhance operational performance , reduce variability and drive cost savings across various sectors .
APC uses sophisticated algorithms and computer software to optimise the performance and efficiency of different industrial processes . Once up and running , APC systems can help predict future process behaviour and optimise operational parameters by making real-time adjustments . Today , APC can be found in industries spanning chemical , pharmaceutical and general manufacturing — and is serving a crucial role .
To support industrial control systems , Beckhoff launched its TwinCAT suite of automation tools and components . It provides instruments to turn almost any PC-based system into a fullyfledged supervisory control and data acquisition ( SCADA ) system . TwinCAT can transform almost any PC-based system into a real-time control complete with multiple programmable logic controllers ( PLCs ), numerical control ( NC ), computer numerical control ( CNC ) and / or robotics runtime systems .
Importantly , APC helps minimise process drive , shift , and variability and , in doing so , increases process capability and reduces product scrap .
APC serves as a communication hub between system-level controls , subsystems such as instruments and sensors , and the equipment itself . Each real-time controller within the APC system drives a specified controlled variable to its desired set point , ensuring all parameters are at the required levels .
Improved efficiency
According to a UK Government survey , over six in ten ( 66 per cent ) of manufacturers have taken steps in the past five years to improve energy efficiency , with methods including building improvements ( 47 per cent ), behavioural and cultural changes ( 27 per cent ) and replacing industrial equipment ( 24 per cent ). Another option is improving process control and keeping a tighter grip on production parameters .
Parameters at the machine level may include temperature , exposure and pressure , with platforms TwinCAT Analytics capable of capturing , storing , and monitoring data on these . Then , users can derive an optimisation potential for the various processes and machines before integrating these into the production process .
By adjusting these parameters on the factory floor , APC can help improve production performance , yield , throughput and flexibility in real-time . Take semiconductor manufacturing , for example . It relies on fixed , efficient production ,
86 PECM Issue 71